Under the auspices of the Healthy Fats Coalition (HFC) and coinciding with the arrival of spring, March 21 marks the fourth annual #NationalHealthyFatsDay, a celebration of traditional healthy animal fats – pure lard, beef tallow, duck fat, goose fat and the like – that are enjoying a resurgence within America’s food culture, in restaurants, fast food operations and home kitchens.
National Healthy Fats Day is the brainchild of the HFC, a group of like-minded organizations, companies and individuals that have developed a new educational initiative dedicated to the proposition that healthy fats aren’t merely having a moment – they’re here to stay, as an essential part of the American diet. Its mission is simple: affirm that animal fats deserve a central place in the American diet and in the popular imagination.
According to the HFC, artificial trans fats are out, and minimally processed farm fats — for superior baking, frying and a host of other cooking applications – are most decidedly back. The color, texture and flavor that animal fats impart make them a vastly superior alternative to heavily processed, industrially produced substitutes, the organization notes.
“While processed food doesn’t always respect tradition, more and more home cooks represent a refreshing turn to authenticity in the kitchen,” said Eric R. Gustafson, CEO of Coast Packing Company, a founding member of the HFC. “The Coalition exists to remind everyone that animal fats are a big part of today’s dynamic food culture – and getting bigger all the time.”
Consider these tasty insights from a smattering of HFC supporters:
“Look in the back corner of your refrigerator. Possibly you’ll find a container of chilled bacon grease. That grease is a form of rendered lard. What are you saving it for? It is currently a ‘wait in line’ situation to get pig fat at the butcher, and past knowledge about rendering and use of lard is mostly shared through verbal instruction and practice..” from Elizabeth Swenson, The Artisan Lard Cookbook of Old World Breads and Spreads, Smashwords, 2020.
“On this #NationalHealthyFatsDay, TruBeef stands for pasture-raised ‘back-to-basics’ farming with high quality over quantity. We passionately believe in sustainable, regenerative, organic farming values which have been practiced by all our family farms for generations. Your health and wellness are our priority… Just as nature intended, cattle are ruminants, meaning they’re born to eat grass and not grains or supplements. That’s why all our cattle are Grass-fed & Grass-finished and certified as humanely raised on Organic pastures year-round,” from TruBeef®, San Diego.
From Pure Indian Foods, Princeton, Jct, NJ: “Our vision is to offer great tasting grass-fed organic ghee products at reasonable prices that will help ghee achieve the same sacred superfood status in the U.S. which it has enjoyed in the Indian tradition for millennia. We are passionate about creating products and enabling local economies that are sustainable for both our environment and the people in it. What better way to do this than through advocating for the purest food available?”
National Healthy Fats Day is of one of three “healthy fat awareness” spots on the calendar, as designated by the HFC. The Coalition also promotes National Beef Tallow Day on July 13 (coinciding with National French Fry Day) and National Lard Day, December 8, one day ahead of National Pastry Day, Dec. 9. The HFC’s message for each day: mark the occasion by tasting the difference yourself.